Abstract

Conservation efforts should be focused on the most threatened species and their habitats; frequently, these species are endemic to small areas. We conducted a review of vascular plants, vertebrates and some orders of invertebrates that are endemic to the ecosystems of the Temperate Chilean Coastal forests. We established that 45 species of vascular plants are only present in the coastal forests from Maule to Chiloé Island. To date, at least two species of mammals, one subspecies of bird, one lizard, twelve amphibians, 15 terrestrial snails, 11 crustaceans, 30 Coleoptera, 17 Lepidoptera, two Hymenoptera, one Ephemeroptera, nine Plecoptera, two Orthoptera and three Phasmatodea have been mentioned as endemic to Chilean Coastal forests. The long-clawed mouse and the Mocha Island degu are the only endemic mammals, since Darwin's fox is quasi-endemic to the Coastal Range. Many of these species have one or two sites of occurrence. Most of these species are endemic to the forests and streams of Maule, Nahuelbuta and Valdivia watersheds. Due to the reduced